title: Longer-term effects of implanted vagal nerve stimulation.
abstract: Vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) is a non-pharmacologic therapeutic intervention approved in adults and children with neuropsychiatric disorders. Studies conducted over the past 20 years have demonstrated that VNS results in immediate and longer-term changes in brain regions implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders, such as the thalamus, cerebellum, orbitofrontal cortex, limbic system, hypothalamus, and medulla with vagus innervations. This review summarizes the effects of longer-term implanted VNS and how the incorporation of this non-pharmacologic therapeutic management in the treatment regime can be beneficial to address the needs of patients who are unable to tolerate medications and/or undergo surgery and do not respond to pharmacologic therapies. We also highlight the therapeutic efficacy of longer-term implanted VNS, safety, tolerability, patient acceptance, adherence, and adverse events, if any, in adults and children in this modality of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine, Health Sciences Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. kamathm@mcmaster.ca
authors.forename: Markad V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Kamath
authors.forename: Mary S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Thomson
authors.forename: Sneha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gaitonde
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Upton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D058542:Implantable Neurostimulators; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life; D013997:Time Factors; D055536:Vagus Nerve Stimulation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology*